Fraser's Ridge
Fraser's Ridge is a tract of land in western North Carolina. Its proprietor, Jamie Fraser, lives there with his extended family, and by 1779 there were upwards of 60 tenant families living on the land. It covers about ten thousand acres. History When Jamie and Claire arrive in Wilmington, they discreetly set about finding a buyer for one of their gemstones, in order to turn its value into cash that they can use. While in town, Jamie encounters a cousin-by-marriage, Edwin Murray, who happens to be the secretary of Governor Tryon's wife, and Jamie manages to secure an invitation for Claire and himself to dine with the governor. The true goal of the night is to persuade a wealthy German guest at the dinner to purchase the gemstone, but after the rest of the guests have left the party, the governor has a private conservation with Jamie (on which Claire eavesdrops) about another matter: an offer of a land grant in the North Carolina wilderness where, under Jamie's sponsorship, tenant families would be induced to settle and work the land. It's an offer not without its drawbacks. As Jamie explains to Claire later, the reason the governor might make such an offer to Jamie so soon after meeting him, might include the fact that Jamie is a soldier by nature and experience, and having someone like Jamie with a certain amount of control over remote areas of the colony, where unrest has already bubbled up in the past, would be very beneficial to the governor. Jamie also notes that, even though the governor waved off the fact that Jamie is Catholic and the law allows only Protestant men to hold such land grants, this would be a sort of leverage the governor holds over Jamie – as long as Jamie complies with what the governor wants of him, there's no problem, but if Jamie doesn't, the governor could easily use it against him. In late summer of 1767, Jamie and Claire travel through the wilderness for a suitable place to settle, if they were to accept Tryon's offer. By September, they begin building shelter in the form of a one-room cabin, in which Jamie, Claire and Young Ian will live through the winter. They also construct two sheds, one for storing and curing meat, and another for Claire's herbs and other foraged goods. When John Quincy Myers returns with Duncan Innes and additional supplies, they help the Frasers bless the hearth of the cabin. By late 1770, the Ridge had more than thirty families inhabiting the land under Jamie's sponsorship. The Big House Residents Frasers and MacKenzies *Jamie and Claire Fraser *Ian Fraser Murray *Fergus and Marsali Fraser **Germain Fraser **Joan Fraser **Félicité Fraser **Henri-Christian Fraser *Brianna and Roger MacKenzie **Jeremiah MacKenzie **Amanda MacKenzie Ardsmuir Men and their Families *Evan and Mrs. Lindsay **Bobby **Grace **Hugh **Caitlin *Kenny and Rosamund Lindsay *Murdo Lindsay *Ronnie Sinclair *Geordie and Margaret Chisholm **Geoffrey **Charley **Thomas (b. 1762) **Anthony (b. 1764) **Toby (b. 1765) **Twin boys (b. 1767) *Robert MacLeod, with wife and children *Alex MacNeill *Robin and Ute McGillivray **Manfred McGillivray **Hilda McGillivray **Inga McGillivray **Senga McGillivray *Thomas Christie **Malva Christie **Allan Christie Fisher-Folk from Thurso On arrival, numbering twenty-two families, with seventy-six individuals *Hiram and Mairi Crombie *Grannie Wilson *Buchanans *Orem and Amy McCallum **Aidan **Orrie *Padraic and Hortense MacNeill **Angelica **elder daughter *Abernathys **Old Grannie Abernathy **Young Grannie Abernathy **Arabella Abernathy ("Grannie Belly") **Hugh Abernathy **Jocky Abernathy Other Residents *Arch Bug and Murdina Bug *Lizzie Wemyss and her father Joseph Wemyss *Josiah and Keziah Beardsley *Billy and Ruth Aberfeldy, with daughter Ruth *Bobby Higgins *Obadiah, Anne, and Kate Henderson *Frances Pocock (since 1779) Location Diana Gabaldon has said that Fraser's Ridge probably lies within ten miles of or .Compuserve Books and Writers Forum – Diana Gabaldon folder Surrounding Towns References Category:Locations Category:Fictional Locations